Summary
Locke & Key Season 1, Episode 9, “Echoes” is a lifeless penultimate episode that progresses the story but that’s about it.
This recap of Netflix Series Locke & Key Season 1, Episode 9, “Echoes” contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 1 review.
- Read the recap of Episode 10.
- Read the recap of the previous episode (8).
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
Episode 9, “Echoes” delves into Ellie’s involvement in the story. It is a dry chapter, and I expected more from the penultimate episode. It starts with a flashback from 6 months ago — Ellie sees an article that Rendell has been murdered and she rings Mark. As we saw at the start of the series, Mark whacks his chest with a key and his house explodes. Episode 9 then reverts to 3 months ago, with Ellie having dinner with Rufus. Lucas shows up and gives her a task. Ellie checks out the basement in the Matheson house and finds a crown. Nina catches Ellie and she blags out of the situation.
Ellie shows the Crown of Shadows to Lucas but he also wants the Head Key. Mr. Ridgeway was spying on Ellie and Lucas but he gets caught. Lucas takes his phone and then kills Mr. Ridgeway. Later on, Ellie tries killing Lucas but it does not work. Lucas (who is Dodge), says he is already dead.
The first couple of scenes were designed to provide context to moments in the series so far, but they had little impact or surprise.
In the present day, Kinsey and Tyler show Bode the memory of their father Rendell killing Lucas. Bode reveals there’s someone who looks exactly like Lucas at Ellie’s house. Bode is determined to help his siblings and visits Rufus and explains the situation regarding Lucas. Rufus shows him the Crown of Shadows.
Kinsey confronts Ellie about Lucas. Ellie says she has no choice but to help Lucas and in fear, she tries to leave town but Rufus explains how Bode told him everything. Rufus wants to stay; he wants to fight. Rufus reveals the hidden keys that were stashed away by Lucas.
Ellie meets Kinsey, Tyler, Bode, and Rufus and explains how she met Lucas. She also explains how Rendell was obsessed with the black door at the sea cave. Something hit Lucas from that cave which changed him. Rather than explain the story, she offers to use the Head Key to show what actually happened.
As we near the end of Episode 9, “Echoes”, Ellie shows the group the memory inside her head; Lucas was demanding the Omega Key and began killing his friends. Rendell had no choice but to kill Lucas as he was ruthlessly violent. Rendell removed Duncan’s memories because he saw what happened. They believe a demon attached to Lucas in the door in the sea cave. Rendell and his friends created the drowning story as a cover-up and they all vowed to protect the keys. Ellie missed Lucas however and visited the Well House in search of Lucas using the Echo key because she missed him.
Ellie was the reason this became a problem again.
Locke & Key Season 1, Episode 9, “Echoes” ends with the reveal that whoever has the crown and the key can control the shadows. Lucas shows up. Rufus and Ellie attack Lucas but he still manages to hurt Rufus. The final scene shows Lucas inserting the key into the crown and then putting it on. He smirks and says, “Hello darkness”
At this point, I could not care less for the finale.
Additional Notes:
- Kinsey and Tyler fixed the urn. Nina doesn’t remember it.
- The monster from Kinsey’s head jumps at Eden’s window and makes her jump. When confronting Kinsey blaming her, the monster attacks Eden from behind. Eden wants an explanation from Kinsey. Kinsey reveals she is afraid of Eden.
- Nina pours her alcohol down the sink.
- After telling Jackie about fear monsters, demons and magical keys she asks Tyler for a little space.
- Kinsey tells Gabe and Scot that they are both amazing and wants to date them both.
